Mobile devices such as mobile phones provide a subscriber of a mobile service provider (e.g., Verizon Wireless™) with means to communicate with others using voice, SMS and electronic mail services. Internet data service also allows subscribers the ability to browse and use web pages such as buying products from an online retailer using a credit card. For example, if a customer would like to purchase a product, the customer may open a web browser on the mobile device which has internet service, locate a retailer selling the product, locate the product on the retailer's website, and enter the customer's credit card information and shipping information.
In this scenario, the customer must have a mobile device with internet service, must locate an online retailer and the product on the online retailer's website, must possess a valid credit card, must enter a valid credit card number and must enter customer shipping information. This multi-step procedure may result in unsuccessful location of a product, invalid credit card, miss-entry of credit card information or miss-entry of the shipping address. Therefore, this approach may result in unsuccessful mobile device purchases and poor customer experience. The customer may also be concerned about providing personal information such as credit card information and address information to a web-site of uncertain security/validity over the internet.
Hence a need exists for simple and secure manner for mobile device users to make transactions. Furthermore, there is a need for a method that makes the process of purchasing using a mobile device easier for the customer by enabling the customer to make purchases without necessarily requiring all the steps of accessing a web browser, locating a product on a website, having a credit card, and entering a credit card number and shipping address.